For people who live east of Cuyahoga County, this kind of help is now available closer to home.

Cleveland Rape Crisis Center has opened an office at 54 S. State St., Suite 302, in Painesville. Services are provided for free and with anonymity.

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The Painesville office joins a Geauga County office that opened in 2011 in partnership with WomenSafe Inc.

Those two locations mark the first time in nearly 40 years that Cleveland Rape Crisis Center has offered services outside of Cuyahoga County.

"We've been very aware that a large number of our clients were traveling a long way -- in some cases 60 miles or more -- for their therapy appointments," said Megan O'Bryan, CEO of Cleveland Rape Crisis Center. "We're very grateful to be able to now offer services much closer to home for victims in Lake County."

Statistics show that at least 60 percent of sexual assaults are never formally reported, according to O'Bryan. So it's important to note that filing a police report is not a prerequisite for services.

"Whether the assault took place last week or 30 years ago ... the center offers a safe, confidential place to tell someone what you've experienced and get the support you need to move beyond the trauma," O'Bryan said.

Frequently someone will seek help because they're still trying to process what happened, said Hester Thorpe, a trauma therapist for the center's Lake and Geauga counties offices.

"They're really in the beginning stages," she said. "A lot of times, there is safety concerns, have they reported this to the police, reported this to the hospital, will the perpetrator come back again?"

Guilt, shame and anger also may cause some sexual assault victims to bury what happened or to perhaps rationalize that what took place wasn't a big deal or wrong, Thorpe said.

She said many clients may have been sexually assaulted 10, 15 to 20 years ago and now seek help for very different reasons.

"They have processed parts of it, a lot of it they have buried it to keep moving forward," Thorpe said. "If they are coming to see me, a lot of that has shifted. They might be in a new romantic relationship and trying to figure out how to be in a healthy relationship."

Thorpe said in some cases, clients may feel they are now old enough to talk about it or far enough away from the neighbor, family member or person who harmed them.

Sexual assault cases garnering national attention, including the one involving former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky, have led to increased awareness about sexual assault, especially among male sexual assault victims who have come forward to seek help, said Sondra Miller, Cleveland Rape Crisis Center spokeswoman.

In addition to counseling, the center offers a 24-hour rape crisis and support hotline (216-619-6192); advocacy services; and community education, prevention and training programs.

The move to establish a Lake County office was made possible in part through a partnership with the Lake County Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services board and the behavioral health care provider Beacon Health.

Fraser said sexual assault is a problem that occurs regardless of demographics or income levels and there wasn't a place in the county where sexual assault victims could discuss their situation anonymously until now.

"I'm so proud that our system is playing a role in this," she said.

Appointments for the services provided by Cleveland Rape Crisis Center in Painesville can be made by calling 440-354-7364, ext. 141.